Sailor Moon Classic Part 3: Sybilla's Crystal
by StarCatTibalt
Summary: Part 3 of my retelling. The Sailor Scouts must now search for the seven shards of Sybilla's Crystal that hold the seven Gods of War, evil deities who caused a great war across the galaxy during the Silver Millennium. With Zoisite also in pursuit and Molly now training to become a Sailor Scout, who will be the first to obtain the crystal of the legendary Lunarian Sailor Scout?
1. Chapter 30 The Story of Sybilla

**- Happy 4th of July Everyone! Here it is! Part three of my retelling of the first season. I hope you enjoy after a long wait!**

**- I apologize that this took a while. I had intended to post this on June but then a lot of things happened. With the premiere of the new anime coming up and the new dub for the original announced, several websites containing Sailor Moon episodes were either taken down or blocked for copyright claims. This caused a delay on my writing since I was using online sources to watch the episodes so I can reference and get ideas for my story. Thankfully, with The Time Traveler's help, Hulu is posting the episodes on their website, although they're well behind from where I'm at now. However, I'm now able to continue writing and will try to post a chapter every week or two. Thank you everyone for your support. God bless!**

* * *

**Chapter 30**

The Story of Sybilla

In the deepest part of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl walked down a long staircase, a ball of glowing human energy held in her hands. It was the same energy that Nephrite had stolen from Molly under the disguise of Tuxedo Mask.

Shortly after he left Nephrite for dead, Zoisite had returned to Queen Beryl to present Nephrite's crystal to her before informing her of ordering his knights to dispose of Nephrite after his betrayal. While Queen Beryl had been upset over the loss of one of her better generals, Zoisite's actions were commendable, thus proving his worth. They could not afford one of their own to side with the Sailor Scouts.

She reached the end of the stairs and stopped before a gigantic pair of doors. They seemed more alive and organic for they were constantly flexing as if they were breathing. A moment later they slowly shifted open and Queen Beryl walked through.

A hideous, monstrous, single eye that shined down on a long walkway that was festered with points that resembled claws was the only illumination in the dimly lit room. The outline of a very large object bellow the eye was barely visible as Queen Beryl approached the end of the walkway and knelt, holding up the ball of energy like an offering.

"Awaken, my great ruler," she said, her voice echoing around the room, "I offer you this blissful energy. Come! Return to life! My great ruler!"

The energy shot forward like an arrow from her hands and struck directly into the eye. The eye glowed for a moment before the power of the energy flowed down into the object bellow. The energy began to glow until it illuminated the entire object in a fiery red and orange. It looked like a distorted brain that was both squashed and transparent, a shape that looked like black ink pulsing inside.

"_Oooohhh_!" came an eerie groan.

Queen Beryl gasped, shivers of delight running down her body.

"_The energy of humans has awoken me from my long sleep,_" the voice was unnatural, the very type that would cause little children to die in their sleep.

Queen Beryl bowed, "I have long awaited this day!"

"_Yet at times_," the voice of Metallia continued, "_my consciousness is pulled by the threads of slumber._"

"Then what must I do to fully awaken you?" asked Queen Beryl.

There was the briefest of pauses, "_Sybilla's Crystal. Find Sybilla's Crystal. It is necessary for me to fully revive! Human energy can only sustain me for so long._"

"We are searching for Sybilla's Crystal," Queen Beryl explained, "but we know nothing of its whereabouts."

"_It is here. I can sense it. The shards holding the Gods of War will lead you to it._"

"The _Gods of War_?" Queen Beryl paused as she remembered that historic event she had once studied during her youth.

"_They are trapped inside the seven shards of Sybilla's Crystal, each a different color yet all residing inside a human body_."

Queen Beryl gasped, "Then the rumors are true!"

"_Yes, they are…_" the voice of Metallia now sounded as though it was struggling, "_I must sleep again soon but only briefly, so I will tell you what you must do. You no longer need to find energy. Find Sybilla's Crystal and bring it to me!_"

"Yes, my great ruler!" Queen Beryl bowed again.

* * *

"**I'm late! I'm Late! **_**I'm Late!**_**"**

Serena ran down the streets in a dead run, apparently late for school. _Again_.

"_Serena_!" yelled a muffled voice behind her, "Stop! You forgot your lunch!"

Serena snapped her head around and saw Luna running at her heels, the string of her lunch bag clenched around her teeth.

"Oh, thanks!" Serena gasped but didn't stop, "Can you bring it with you?"

She turned a corner and crashed straight into a body. She went down hard on her bottom as she heard someone yell in pain. As soon as the pain in her face went away, she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" she started to apologize, then stopped when she realized she'd run straight into street gang consisting of a dozen thugs at least.

One member was sitting on the sidewalk holding his knee while another was crouched beside him. The rest were standing around, leaning against the wall, or leaning against their tuned up cars. However, _all_ of them were looking Serena will murderous intent.

"You _broke_ my leg!" screamed the injured thug.

Serena quickly got to her feet. She'd heard how violent street gangs could get, especially against anyone who so much as irritated them. She glanced down at Luna and saw the cat's hair rise, assuring her that they were in a dangerous position with no help nearby. However, she'd been trained how to fight effectively, should they try to attack her, and stood her ground as one approached her.

"Well?" he said, "Whatta ya gonna do about it, missy?"

"It was an accident!" Serena protested, noticing two other members closing in on her and shifted to where she could see them all.

"Yeah?" said one of other thugs, "Well, you're gonna have to pay for it."

Serena suddenly lost her patience and shouted, "Look, I said I was sorry, alright! Now get off my case! I'm late for school and I don't have the time to deal with you!"

The glare she added caused all the thugs to look at her in surprise.

"Hey," said the buff one in front of her, "You may be cute, but you're not getting away with that."

He made a grab for her, but Serena stepped back quicker than expected and dropped her school case, lifting her hands in a defensive position.

"Touch me and you'll be sorry," she warned as she narrowed her eyes. She couldn't transform right in front of them-and Luna would never approve of her using her brooch for something as petty as this, even if she were in uniform.

The thugs glanced at each other and laughed.

"This one's got spirit."

"We're gonna have some fun with her."

With wide grins they approached her.

Serena shifted her eyes back and forth as she sized her opponents. They were all athletic, but she doubted they could fight well. While Dave had taught Shinkendo for her sword fighting skills, he'd also had taught her the defensive art of Aikido for hand-to-hand combat.

The thug on her right moved first by making a grab for her. She let him grab her sleeve before she grabbed his own wrist and swung around. The other two thugs who'd been stopped, taken by surprise be this sudden move. The thug she was holding onto stared at her before the breath was knocked out of him when she karate chopped him in the chest. She then buried her fist into his nose and felt the cartilage break. The man howled and let go of her, holding his bleeding nose.

The other two thugs stared in shock as they watched their friend double over, blood streaming from between his fingers. Then one of them let out a howl as Serena slammed her palm into his nose. The third thug finally came out of his daze and attacked her.

He grabbed onto her uniform shirt and lifted his other hand to deliver a punch. Serena parried it and hit him in the chest. The blow was just enough to stun him and she grabbed his attacking arm. She spun around, locking his arm over his shoulder before bringing him down onto the sidewalk. The thug could do little to defend himself as Serena broke his nose.

As she started to rise, the second thug grabbed her from behind by wrapping his arms around her. Serena responded by hitting her elbow against his ribs. The first blow did little, the second knock the breath out of him and she felt his arms loosen. She grabbed his arm and pulled with all her might. The thug came sailing over her shoulder and was slammed into the concrete. This time she delivered a punch that broke his nose.

As all three thugs laid on the sidewalk holding their bleeding noses, the rest of the gang was now approaching. The one she'd run into earlier was now standing up and was approaching her with renewed anger. Serena braced as he raised his fist, but was stopped short when something caught his arm. The thug snapped his around as Serena looked over his shoulder to see what appeared to be a tall woman holding his arm, her face hidden by the man's head.

"_That's_ not very nice," said a voice that sounded more boyish than girlish.

Before the man could react, the woman threw him over her shoulder and slammed him into the ground, knocking him with her black pump shoe.

Serena stared in surprise at the woman's strength before she realized the woman was wearing a school uniform that was similar to hers but had a khaki skirt. When the woman turned to her, her surprise rose to new heights. The _girl's_ face was that of a warrior goddess. Her features were elegant yet they held a hardened tone whenever she involved in a fight. Perfect forest green eyes looked at her with admiration. Her rich brown hair was pulled back in a pretty ponytail. Serena realized that the girl was much taller than she thought and judging from her school uniform, she reasoned that the girl was still in high school.

"Hi," the girl smiled at her.

"Hi," Serena smiled back, thankful to have an ally.

The girl jerked a thumb to the remaining thugs, who were stealthily approaching them, "Figured you could use a hand."

Over the girl's shoulder Serena saw one thug draw out a flip blade and sprinted forward.

"Thanks!" she said before she pushed the girl aside and drew back her fist. The thug didn't see it coming and ran straight into the small fist. Serena quickly disarmed him and broke his nose while the other girl took care of the next thug.

Together they proceeded to take the rest of thugs until there was only one left. The thug was trapped between and nervously glanced from the tall girl to the short girl. He decided to take his chances with the smaller girl and charged at her, hoping to knock her down with his escape. Serena was prepared for it. She placed her hands on his and brought up knee hard into his crouch. The thug gasped and immediately sagged, but Serena caught and pushed into a sitting position against the wall before she caught his shirt and stared straight into his frightened eyes.

"Tell your buddies," she gestured to the thugs, either moaning or unconscious, around them, "when they wake up that if I ever run into you guys again, I'll do more than break your ugly noses. _Got it_?"

"Yes…" the thug squeaked through a gasp, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good," Serena let go of his shit and straightened.

She and the girl heard the sounds of applause and cheering and they looked across the street to see a crowd who had witnessed the whole. The girls waved and smiled before they looked at each other.

"Think you'll be okay from here?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Serena held out her hand, "Thanks again for the help, Miss…?"

The tall girl shook it, "Lita. And don't mention. I'm always happy to help."

The girl named Lita went over to retrieve her school case that she placed down on the street in order to help Serena. As she came back, they heard the sound of a police siren approaching.

"Take care," she waved, and Serena saw a pair of pretty rose shaped earrings, before Lita turned the corner and was gone.

For a moment Serena stood there, amazed at what had happened in just the last few minutes. Than she remembered she was late for school and rushed over to retrieve her school case and lunch poach.

Luna stepped out from the shadows, "Well done, Serena. And that girl could certainly fight."

"Yeah," Serena agreed, "I hope I see her again. Thanks for bringing my lunch, Luna. I have to get going."

Luna nodded as Serena took off, smiling to herself, "You most certainly will. And soon."

The cat turned to go back home, but not she heard a groaning thug say, "Man, I never thought _any_ girl that small could _hit _so hard."

Chuckling, Luna continued on her way.

* * *

**Somehow Serena had been able** to arrive in just in time before class session. Relieved, she sat down at her desk before she glanced over to see Molly grinning at her. She grinned back, happy to see her friend was back to her normal self. After Molly had volunteered to join the Sailor Scouts Dave and the other trainers had made preparations over the weekend for her "boot camp" training.

Serena was worried how Molly wouldn't be able to handle it since Dave and the others intended to give Molly the same hard training that they had put her, Amy, and Raye through. Yet the determination in Molly's eyes assured her that Molly was far from turning back.

Lunch came quickly and as everyone else went out to play, Serena strode over to her favorite spot while she hummed to herself. As she cross over the shady tree, she suddenly stopped short. Sitting a short distance from her beside a bush was the girl that had come to her aid earlier when she'd fought against the thugs. Serena's jaw dropped, what was the girl doing here? Surely she was in High School?

Suddenly a face appeared before her.

"Serena?" Melvin said in his high voice.

Serena let out a shriek and grabbed Melvin's shirt, dragging him behind the tree and out of sight of the girl. Her reflexes almost caused her to hit Melvin without second thought.

"_Don't_ you appear out of nowhere like that!" she warned harshly, "I could have _killed_ you!"

"I'm sorry!" Melvin squeaked before he looked over Serena's shoulder, "I just wanted to warn you about _that_ girl."

Her irritation vaporizing into curiosity, Serena let go of him and turned around, "_Her_? What's wrong with her?"

"She just transferred her today," Melvin explained, "Her name is Lita Gagliardi. She's fourteen and in eighth grade like we are, but she's unusually strong."

Serena stared at Lita, who was sitting quietly on the lawn eating her lunch. She didn't look anywhere _near_ fourteen or in eighth grade. She looked at least seventeen and a senior in High School.

"Rumor has it that she was kicked out her previous school because she got into too many fights," Melvin went on, "You better stay away from her Serena."

When he got no response he looked over and found that Serena was gone. Blinking, he looked around and gasped when he found her sneaking up to Lita from behind. Panicked, Melvin could only watch and wait in horror.

Serena approached the bush and stood tiptoe. What she saw first amazed her.

"Wow," she whispered to herself, "What a lunch she has! It looks delicious! Even her lunch box looks cute! Those blueberry muffins look so yummy-"

Lita sensed someone was behind her and turned her head around sharply.

"_Who's there_?!" she snapped.

Serena jumped, embarrassed but she quickly gathered her composure and laughed cheerfully.

"Hello," she replied nervously with a smile, "I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I was just surprised to see you here."

"Oh, it's _you_," Lita's face softened as she recognized Serena, "I didn't know you went to this school."

"I'm Serena Thomson," Serena introduced herself, "I was just coming over to eat lunch at my favorite spot when I saw you sitting over here. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier so I thought I'd join you. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Lita smiled and scooted over, "Please, sit."

"Thank you!" Serena came around the bush and sat down, opening her own lunch bag, "Your lunch looks delicious. Mine definitely pales in comparison to yours."

Lita laughed, "Thanks," she lifted the container with the little blueberry muffins, "Would you like to try one?"

"Thank you!" Serena immediately took one and bit into it, "Wow, this is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," Lita's smile turned into a frown, "I don't know why, but everyone here seems to be afraid of me."

"It's probably because they're intimidated by you because they've never seen an eighth grader as tall or as strong as you," Serena grinned, "Give it time and they'll eventually get used to you," she took another bite, amazed on how good it tasted, "Hey, Lita-Oh, is it all right if I call you Lita?"

"Sure," Lita nodded.

"These muffins are delicious! Your mom must be a real good cook in order to make these."

"Oh," Lita blushed, "thanks. My mom is a chef, but she didn't make these. _I _did."

Serena stared, wide-eyed, and she almost dropped the remains of the muffin, "_You_ made these? That's awesome!"

"Comes in the family, I guess," Lita grinned proudly, yet she still shrugged, "My mom's a French chef while my dad's an Italian one. They own a French and Italian restaurant not far from here."

"Really? That's so cool! What's it called?"

"_Duex Mondi_," Lita grinned proudly, "It means '_Both Worlds_' in French and Italian."

"I'll see if I can get my parents to take me over there. I'd love to see it and perhaps I'll be able to meet your parents."

Lita laughed again, "Thank you. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you."

Behind them, Melvin stared at Serena from behind the tree in complete surprise as Serena and her new friend continued to chat.

"Serena certainly is a genius when it comes to making friends," he stated.

* * *

"**So, Lita,**"** Serena asked again **as she and Lita walked down the street together just after school, "how come you're not wearing our own school uniform?"

"They didn't have one that was my size so the school told me just to wear my old one," Lita shrugged, "And this is more of my style anyway."

"I see," Serena paused before asking her next question, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"My dad taught me. He trained in Chun Kuk Do and started teaching me when I was five."

"_Chun Kuk Do_?"

Lita grinned, "It's the fighting form created by Chuck Norris."

Serena blinked, "Seriously?"

"My dad actually got to meet Chuck Norris once. My dad was one of his first students."

"That's so cool!"

"Dad started teaching after I broke a boys nose when he tried to kiss me."

Serena couldn't help but laugh, "Is there anyone you _don't_ get in a fight with?"

Lita shrugged, "Only the ones who don't deserve it."

Shortly afterward they arrived at the arcade center. Serena had invited Lita and, seeing that she'd never played the Sailor V game before, decided to tag along with her. After they walked in, Serena looked around for Andrew and found he was nowhere in sight.

"I guess Andrew not working today," she said.

"Who's Andrew?" Lita suddenly grinned, "_Oh_. Is he your secret boyfriend?"

Serena blushed, "No, no. Andrew is just a good friend of mine. His..." Serena stopped, realizing she was just about to say Darien's name. Even more shocking was that she'd almost had called him her boyfriend when they haven't even gone out on a date.

Her breath hitched. _Good lord! What was she thinking?!_

Now that she thought Darien she realized she hadn't seen him in the past few days. Shaking her thoughts away from him, she turned to speak to Lita—only to find her new friend was already trying the Sailor V game.

Almost toppling over, Serena quickly joined her and try to help Lita out the best she could whenever Lita got into tough situations. The minutes passed before someone called Serena's name. Serena looked up to see Amy approaching her, Raye following close behind. Amy looked relieved to see her while Raye looked very irritated.

"Hey, guys," Serena stood.

"So this is where you are," said Amy, "We were looking all over for you."

"Why?" Serena frowned, "Is something wrong?"

She flinched when Raye raised her hand, looking as though she was about to strike her, before slapped the hand against her forehead.

"Don't you remember _anything_?" Raye grounded out.

"What?"

Raye leaned closer and whispered, "Luna instructed us to come straight to the cathedral right after school. She was going to tell us about _Sybilla's Crystal_, _remember_?"

Serena flinched again as she recalled the cat's instructions.

"Oh, yeah," Serena smiled uneasily, "Sorry, guys. I got sidetracked," she looked behind them, "Where's Molly? Isn't she with you?"

"She went on ahead," Raye pointed her head in the direction of the cathedral.

"I think she's really eager to get started," Amy whispered, beaming.

Serena beamed back, "That's nice to hear."

"_What?!_" Lita screeched, making them jump, "There's no way I lost! This game is _fixed_!"

"New friend of yours?" asked Raye.

Serena grinned uneasily, "Uh, Yeah," she shifted closer and patted Lita on the shoulder, "Hey, Lita?"

Lita looked up at her as though she had just come out of a daze, "Yeah?"

"I like to introduce you to my two other friends."

Lita stood and the other girls blinked as they had to look up to see her face. Obviously Lita's unusual size had taken them by surprise.

"This is Lita Gagliardi," Serena introduced, "She just transferred to my school today."

"Nice to meet you," Lita smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Amy and Raye echoed. Like Serena, they were wondering how a girl like Lita could be in eighth grade.

"The smart girl here is Amy Miles," Serena pointed, "While the mean one here is Raye Heinberg."

"_Who_ are you calling a mean girl?" Raye said through a tight smile.

"_Raye_," answered Serena.

Raye leaned closer, holding out her ear, "I didn't hear you. _Who_ did you say?"

"_Raye!_" Serena repeated.

Raye planted a finger on Serena's chest, "What year, month, day, hour, minute, or second was I ever mean to you?!"

Serena pushed back with her own finger, "Just right now! And _that's_ why you're mean."

"Looks like you two get along rather well," said an amused Lita.

"No way!" Serena immediately denied.

"She always picks a fight with me even when I'm being _nice_ to her!" Raye protested.

"_Who_ picks fights?" Serena crossed her arms.

"_You_ do!" Raye spat.

Lita chuckled, "They say the more you fight, the better friends you are."

The statement took both Serena and Raye by surprise while Amy laughed.

"She has a point there," Amy admitted before she cleared her voice, "_If_ you two are quite finished with your bickering, we have more important things to do. Our friend is _waiting_ for us, and we all know she doesn't like to wait."

The reminder made Serena and Raye immediately forget about their argument. Serena quickly snatched up her school case and held out a hand to Lita.

"I have to go," she smiled, "But hey, since we'll see each other at school tomorrow let's come here again. Okay?"

"Sure," Lita shook her hand, "I'm glad I got to meet you, Serena."

"Same here," Serena followed her friends out, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

**They found Molly sitting inside** Dave's study, listening to Luna as the cat waited for them. Already dressed in her PE clothes, Molly seemed impatient to get started and looked rather relieved when Serena and the others walked in.

"Hey, Serena," she smiled.

"Hey, Molly," Serena grinned as she looked at Luna, "Is Luna boring you with her stories?"

"_Boring_?" Molly looked at her, incredulous, "Are you _kidding_ me?! They're not _boring_. They fascinating! Luna's stories are incredible when it comes to the history of the Sailor Scouts and the age they lived in. And the possibility that I could be the very first volunteer in this time makes me even more excited."

Serena looked at Luna, "_Volunteer_?"

"You and the others didn't actually volunteer to become Sailor Scouts, remember?" she said, "I rather forced you into it."

"Oh, yeah, you did," Serena smiled at Molly, "but that's great Molly if you are the very first volunteer."

"I can't wait to get started," Molly clapped her hands excitedly, "Dave and the others have been setting the obstacles all this morning. I won't let you guys down. I'll be sure to make you proud."

"I'm sure you will," said Luna, "Just remember not to let it go to your head."

"Don't worry, I won't," Molly assured.

There was a knock and they turned to see Dave standing in the doorway.

"We're all set, Molly," he announced, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Father," Molly nodded, "I'm ready."

"Good luck," smiled Amy.

"Have fun," Raye slapped Molly on the shoulder.

"Don't let the drill instructors push you around too much," Serena joked.

Molly smiled and waved at them before she followed Dave out the door. Raye, sensing that Luna's next words would be important, gently shut the door.

"I hope she makes it," she said as she and the others took their seats.

"I'm sure she will," said Amy.

"Molly isn't the type that gives up," said Serena, "I think she'll do just fine," she shifted into a more comfortable position before she glanced at Luna, "Sorry we're late, Luna. I ran into that girl that helped me out earlier at school. I thought I'd show here around in appreciation and forgot about coming here right away."

"That girl is going to your school?" Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Yup," Serena nodded, not seeing the need to go into details, "She just transferred."

"I see," Luna paused before continuing, "Well, not that we're all here it's time that I told about Sybilla's Crystal. Please pay special attention to every word I tell you because I'm certain we're going to fighting very different battles in the upcoming days."

* * *

_Sybilla Filippos was a Sailor Scout of Lunaria and one of the most famous of her time. She was not a great beauty with her bronze hair, freckled face and iris colored eyes, but she came from a highly respected army family and had great expectations when she joined the SSU._

_Like you, she joined the SSU at a young age near the end of the second century of the Silver Millennium and quickly showed her ability of a natural leader. She specialized in training with the spear after graduating from boot camp, adopting the style of spear fighting similar to the ancient Greek Hoplite._

_After she obtained the rank of Cosmic Scout, Sybilla was sent on a joint mission to investigate the sudden activity of an alien species the Alliance had encountered only a hand full of times who were attacking undefended colonies on various planets. She and a few other companions traveled around the galaxy and were shocked when they found that the aliens were being controlled by a human pyromaster, a magic user who specializes in fire. Then Sybilla received the shock of her life when she discovered that the magic user leading this violent alien race was a old childhood friend of hers named Thaddeus Soter. They had been close friends for much of their youths before going away on their separate paths. Now they were enemies, and you could only imagine how difficult it was for Sybilla, now forced with the decision of taking the life of her most cherished friend._

_After traveling across the galaxy and participating in several battles against the alien race, Sybilla and her team eventually cornered Thaddeus. And in the final battle Sybilla took the life of her friend, finally bringing an end to terror that would only become worse if it had not been stopped. Sybilla was indeed heartbroken by the difficult decision she had to make, hoping that her friend could redeem herself. Yet she continued on and was hailed as a hero upon her return to Lunaria._

_A few years later, when she obtained the rank of Crises Sailor Scout, Sybilla was ready to take on an apprentice. And what could be more honorable than that of taking the Queen's daughter as her student? That student would be Princess Marina, 8__th__ Sailor Moon of the Original Nine. As it turned out Sybilla was the perfect teacher for Marina. Within a short period of time Marina showed promise of becoming a real leader of the Original Nine. However, before she could obtain the rank of Cosmic Scout, an unexpected and frightening event happened._

_In another part of the galaxy, a Cardainian starship was experimenting a new warp drive system. When it launched into hyperspace, the ship suddenly disappeared and did not arrive at its designated location. The scientists and engineers were completely baffled and could not explain what had happen. The experiment was listed as a disaster and the ship listed as missing, possibly destroyed. Time passed before a portal suddenly appeared in the Cardainia System and from it the same ship emerged. However, it also brought a fleet of strange ships with it. An invasion fleet, caring the beastly armies of a beastly God. Cardainia soon came under attack, and while they were able the fend off the invaders, more portals appeared across the galaxy and ships came and began spreading to other parts of the galaxy. The immediate retaliation of the Alliance of the Star Kingdoms would ignite another galactic war._

_Up until this time, only two galactic wars had been fought in the history of the Silver Millennium. The first had occurred in the middle of the first century when the Alliance fought against an ruthless empire lead by a family who were determined to rule the galaxy and destroy everything the Alliance had been building in the last fifty years. The second was fought against another ruthless empire who's technology and weapons were far superior than that of the Alliance. And they would have won had not been for the Sailor Scouts intervention and the sheer will of the Alliance. Our efforts would eventually make the enemy realize they could not completely destroy us and a peace treaty was created. However, this war, the war I speak of now, was not a war between empires, civilizations, resources, or ideals. This was a war between deities. A war against gods and goddesses._

_The Guardians War, as it would become called, and while it was a much shorter war than the previous two, it was unlike any war anyone had even seen. When the Cardainians pushed their enemy back into space, the beastly god that lead their beastly opponents appeared. I am not exaggerating, for there were too many witnessed who would testified the event when history books about this war were written in the aftermath. The Cardainians thought their doom had come, then their savior, in the form of their Guardian, appeared._

_Cardainia was named after it's Guardian, who was a giant red bird that somewhat resembles the Cardinal bird on Earth. In the ancient times of Cardainia, the great red birds were used for transportation and were the rides of chivalrous knights. The humans and the great birds of that world were once enemies until the kind act of one child would create a bond between human and animal so powerful none could ever see it breaking. Unfortunately, the essence of time and the causalities of war would eventually wipe out the great bird. Cardainia, the very last of the great bird, made his sacrifice to save humanity. In reward for his compassion, Avon made him Guardian of that world, giving it its name._

_Now he appeared in his godlike form over his world as they people pushed back their invaders. The people of Cardainia watched in stunned silence as they Guardian did battle with the beastly god in the vastness of outer space. Realizing that the Guardian was too agile and too powerful, the beastly god retreated along with his invasion force. Yet, even as Cardainia celebrated its victory, the conflict was far from over._

_Other planets within the Alliance soon came under attack as other armies lead by other godlike creatures appeared from other portals. And as the armies of the Alliance sullied out to do battle with the enemy, so did the Guardians. The galaxy was soon enveloped into another galactic war, the third in the time of the Silver Millennium._

_Sybilla, her apprentice, and their companions would be caught in the middle of this conflict. Lunaria's Guardian, Zeus, the very same god you know from Greek Mythology, appeared before our people and informed us that his old enemy, the evil beast god Baocoon, had arrived. Remember the story I had told you the story about the Lunarians leaving their original home planet behind and traveled to this galaxy in search for a new one? Baocoon, the leader of the Gods of War, was that reason._

_Zeus, in the time before he became a Guardian, was the last King of the Lunarian's original home world, Homeros. Once crowned king, he was given godly powers. Well into his rule, Baocoon and the Gods of War invaded. Zeus and his armies fought back bravely but could not push the combined armies of the Gods of War. Realizing that the destruction of Homeros was unavoidable, Zeus ordered his people to abandon the planet. The starships they had then were primitive, but they were the only hope for safety. Zeus and the remnants of his army fought against the Gods of War one last time so to give the people time to escape. Only when the last ship was ready to launch did they break formation and joined the last of the remaining civilians, but Zeus was fatally wounded. Only concerned with the safety of his people, Zeus used his powers to open a portal and the Lunarians were transported to another galaxy, leaving the Gods of War and Homerus behind. Baocoon, while he shared the same powers as Zeus, could not follow for he knew not where Zeus had taken his people and he did not have there were no ships left for him to use, leaving the Gods of War trapped there on Homeros._

_As the Lunarians traveled around this galaxy, the dying Zeus told his wife, Apollonia, and his children, Selene and Medea, to create a new future for their people once they had found a new home. He survived long enough for them to find. In his last moments of life, he viewed the beautiful world they had found. Before his last breath could be taken, Avon, the Lord and Creator of the universe, appeared and offered Zeus the title of Guardian of this planet. Zeus, discovering that he could still watch over his people in the afterlife, agreed and ascended into heaven with Avon. The rest of the story you know._

_In the war the Alliance was now in, Zeus revealed to us that the only way Baocoon could have reached our galaxy was by obtaining information of its existence. The Cardainians confirmed this since the experimental warp drive ship they had lost some time ago had a complete star chart of the known galaxy should the ship have arrived in some other place. As the Alliance continued to hold back the invading forces, Baocoon eventually reached Lunaria. An epic battled ensued as Zeus and Baocoon faced each other again while their respective armies fought._

_Zeus drove away his opponent again and the Alliance pursued the Gods of War to where the portals were being summoned. Zeus revealed to us that since the Gods of War were immortal and could not be destroyed, the only way they could be stopped was sealing inside a diamond crystal individually. Diamonds at that time were rare and Sybilla was one of the very few who carried one in her weapon. Recognizing the dire need of the situation, she split her colorless diamond into seven different colored shards._

_Zeus also informed us that it would be best if we had sealed them on the planet they had come from. And so, after three hundred years, the Lunarians returned to their original home planet of Homeros. With the combined forces of the Lunarians, Natington, Cuboneon, and Cardainia, the Allies was able to seal away the Gods of Wars one by one until only Baocoon was left. Furious beyond reason, Baocoon used his powers to cause extreme tectonic activity on Homeros in an effort to destroy both the planet and the Allies._

_Sybilla, holding the last shard, realized that one had to stay behind in order to seal away Baocoon and made the decision to stay behind so that her companions could escape. She granted Cosmic rank to a tearful Princess Marina, said farewell to her friends, and made her way to face Baocoon one last time._

_The Allies escaped with the starships back into the our galaxy with the aid of the Guardians who were able to keep to portals opened. Sybilla must have succeeded, for when the _Moonlight Legend_, the legendary flagship of the Lunarian Navy and transport of Princess Marina arrived back at Lunaria, planetoids of Homeros came with them. They all burned up in Lunaria's atmosphere, but then all saw a strange sight as seven different colored meteorites streaked through the atmosphere._

_The Guardians War had ended but at a great cost. Sybilla Fillipos was remembered as one of the greatest Sailor Scouts of the Silver Millennium. None would ever forgot the compassion she had toward other, especially her apprentice, and the final sacrifice she gave._

_Some believed that the seven crystals holding the Gods of War had been blown away from Homeros, had come through the portal, and had landed here in Lunaria. This was never proven for many searched for the legendary crystals on Lunaria and never found them, yet the possibility remains. And out of this came a legend. The legend speaks that once the crystals are found and the Gods of War are free, the shards will form together as _Sybilla's Crystal_ once again._

* * *

**Luna finished her story and** opened her eyes. Once again, the Sailor Scouts were fascinated by she had just told them.

"Amazing," Amy whispered.

"Yeah," Serena agreed.

"So _that's_ why the Dark Kingdom suddenly started searching for Sybilla's Crystal," said Raye, "To revive the Gods of War."

"Precisely," nodded Luna, "Although it's likely they've been searching for it all along and are only stealing energy to bide their time."

"But why?" asked Serena, "That's what I don't get."

"Remember when I told you about Queen Beryl trying to revive Metallia? The human energy they've been trying to over the last few steal is efficient enough to fully revive her, but only if they have a significant amount. Our efforts have prevented from doing so with the exception of Molly. They may have been able to _awake_ her, but not fully revive her. Once they find and obtain Sybilla's Crystal, not only with will have the Gods of War under their command, but they will be able to use the crystal to revive Metallia."

"Crystals have the power to do that," Amy looked baffled.

"Certain ones do," said Luna, "I mentioned that diamonds are rare across the galaxy. Yes, you see them often in jewelry but they're nothing compared to a _real_ diamond. The reason why the certain diamond I speak of is rare is because they are the most powerful magical crystals in the galaxy. Sybilla's crystal, a colorless diamond, _is_ the most powerful of them all."

"So in other words, we have to find Sybilla's Crystal before they do," stated Serena.

"_Not_ Sybilla's Crystal," Luna reminded, "but the shards of her crystal that hold the Gods of War."

"So how do we find them?" asked Amy, "Could it really be true that they're here on Earth?"

"Since the Dark Kingdom is convinced that they are, we'll have to assume so," Luna paused for a moment, "And there's only possibility that I could think of that explains why no one was able to find them during my time."

Before anyone could ask, Luna went on with, "I'm now going to teach you a new technique. Prism Sailor Scouts are not normally taught this technique for it requires a great deal of energy and is dangerous to the human body. But if my theory is correct, than you will need to know this technique in order to save a human life…"

* * *

**In the Dark Kingdom**, Zoisite and Kunzite had been listening to Queen Beryl tell the same story Luna had been telling the Sailor Scouts only moments ago.

"So how to we find these _Gods of War_?" Zoisite asked impatiently once Queen Beryl was finished.

"Our great ruler has told me that humans are holding the shards of Sybilla's Crystal as host," said Queen Beryl.

"I see," Kunzite paused, "That explains why no one has ever found the shards after the Guardians War. Any magical abilities that would consider strange and unnatural in this world today would be considered normal back then."

"Humans acting as hosts?" Zoisite sounded skeptical.

"It's happen before," Kunzite shrugged, "yet it's very rare."

"I see," Zoisite looked at Queen Beryl, "So, if we find the shards and bring them all together we'll obtain Sybilla's Crystal?"

"Correct," said Kunzite, "However, the Gods of War would have most likely lost their godly powers after they were sealed by Sybilla. Therefore, they won't be as powerful once they've been freed of their prison. They'll likely take control of their human hosts until they fully regain they powers."

"But we'll be able to bring them under our control," Queen smiled in anticipation, "Not only will we be able to fully revive our great ruler, but we'll be able to use the Gods of War as weapons in taking over the galaxy."

She lifted a hand over her black crystal ball. It began to glow and from it came the black crystal Zoisite had taken from Nephrite. It spun directly at Zoiste, who caught it by reflex. He looked at the crystal and then at Queen Beryl, both confused and surprised.

"I have modified it so it be able to detect the shards of Sybilla's Crystals," Queen Beryl explained, "Our great ruler has informed that all the shards are here in Washington D.C. so you should have little to not trouble in finding them, but be aware that the Sailor Scout will be looking for them too. I'm assigning the task of finding the shards and obtaining the Gods of War to you, Zoisite. _Do not fail me_.

Zoisite stared at her before he smiled, "Thank you, my Queen. I promise I will not fail."

He flung out his arm and the crystal sailed to where it floated over the floor. Light began to glow from it and a beam in the shape of a cone appeared, showing the image of a young man.

"One of the shards is in this man's body," Zoisite grinned in anticipation.


	2. Chapter 31 Lita's Destiny

**Chapter 31**

Lita's Destiny

Serena met Lita at school the next day and was happy to hear that Lita had made a few more friends, including Amy, besides just her. After school was over, Serena and Lita went over to the arcade center again, and received a surprise when Serena found Luna waiting for them. The black cat immediately went into her arms when she knelt and Lita beamed in delight as Serena stood back up with Luna cradled on her arm.

"She's so cute!" Lita scratched Luna's chin, which was returned in affection by Luna purring.

"This is my cat, Luna," Serena introduced, "I saved her from being beaten by a bunch of kids and she started following me around. My family and I decided to adopt her and she's been living with us ever since."

"You _saved_ her?" Lita beamed in admiration, "You're very sweet. I like the name you gave her, Luna. Even that mark on her head looks like a moon crescent."

After she was finished petting Luna, Lita went inside the arcade center with Serena following her. As Lita went over to the Sailor V game machine, Serena leaned her head toward Luna and whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm curious about that girl," Luna gestured to Lita, already engrossed in the Sailor V game.

"_Lita_?" Serena glanced at her new friend in confusion, "You don't think she's an enemy, do you? Or do you think she may be a Sailor Scout?"

Luna shrugged and only said, "I don't know quite yet."

Serena decided to leave it just at that and set Luna down so she could join her friend. A few games later, however, they were interrupted by a sudden commotion. They lifted their over to see a crowd gather the nearby crane machine. Curious, they left their consoles behind and joined the crowd to see what was going on.

Serena looked to see who was at the controls and saw a young man with thick glasses and a cap on backwards. She shifted her gaze back to the pile of dolls as the man began to operate the claw again. He moved it until he was at the position he wanted and lowered the claw. Just when Serena thought he was going to miss the doll he was after, something strange. The doll and another one seemed lift themselves up the claw closed, catching them both. The crowd gasped in surprise and began to cheer as the dolls were carried to the shoot.

Serena blinked in amazement, then turned her head when she heard her named called and recognizing her classmate Jennie.

"Hey, Jennie," she said.

"Did you see that?" asked Jennie.

"I did. Who is he?"

"They call him 'Crane Raider Joe'."

"_Crane Raider Joe_?" Serena frowned.

Jennie nodded, "They say whenever he goes over to an arcade, it loses a good portion of it's dolls. He's a really good crane game player!"

"Wow," Serena stared at the man, "What does he do with them?"

"Probably sells them," Jennie shrugged, "but I've been hearing rumors that various orphanages across the city have been receiving bags of dolls with nameless note saying that they're a gift for the kids. He could very well be the one doing that since he always leaves with a bag full of dolls."

"That's cool!" Serena beamed and turned to Lita, "Isn't that cool Lita? _Lita_?"

Lita was staring at Crane Raider Joe in a dreamlike state, completely oblivious to everything else around her.

"_He looks just like him_," she whispered with a bright blush across her cheeks as she continued to stare at him.

"Lita?" Serena waved a hand across Lita's face, but the girl showed no response, "Hello? Earth to Lita! Can you hear me? Hello? Lita?" Serena stared, "What's gotten into her all of a sudden?"

Crane Raider Joe continued playing at the crane machine until the bag he'd brought with was all filled. Nodding his appreciation for his fans, he placed the last doll in the bag, picked it up, and walked out of the arcade center. Serena gaped as Lita's eyes followed him before she ran over, snatched up her school case, and followed him out.

"Oh, boy," Serena stared, "She's got it bad."

"Serena," Luna suddenly said in a serious tone, "Let's follow them. Something's not right."

Luna was already for the door before Serena could say anything. Having no choice but to follow, Serena grabbed her own school case and followed Luna.

* * *

**Crane Raider Joe made his** across the city, whistling as he headed toward the nearest orphanage he knew. He was unaware of the two girls following him some distance away. However, there was another person following him close behind, one that could not be seen.

Joe rounded a corner and decided to take a shortcut. He leaped over the guardrail and landed on the parking lot down bellow. Because the bag's weight over his shoulder, he almost lost his balance and had to steady himself for a moment. A doll fell out the bag and he quietly picked it up before continuing on his way. Suddenly the air in front of him was disturbed as a a spiral of pink arrowheads appeared and a human shape took form.

Joe stopped, wondering if his eyes were deceiving. At first glance he thought the figure was a blonde woman wearing a strange uniform of deep purple with green stripes. Then the figure spoke and he was soon wrong.

"I've found you," he said.

Joe lost his composure and stumbled back, dropping his bag of dolls where they spilled all over the sidewalk.

"What the...?" Joe stared, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man only smiled at him, "This will be over quickly."

He flung out his hand and a black crystal came spinning out to where it floated in midair. It began to glow and Joe found himself unable to move his arms or legs, his eyes locked the crystal. Then he screamed as he felt something that seemed to be trying to rip his heart out of his chest.

"_Stop it_!" he begged, unable to bear the pain.

Zoisite only stood there, smiling in glee as he watched his victim suffer.

"_Stop right there_!" a voice came suddenly.

The voice made him jumped and, fearful of being seen, he grabbed the crystal. Joe collapsed on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. Zoisite looked to see a tall girl with brown hair running down the ramp and placing herself in front of Joe. He stared—the girl somehow looked familiar.

"It's not nice to pick on someone who's weaker than you," said the girl.

Zoisite sneered at her impudence, "Step aside girl, unless you want to get hurt."

The girl lifted her hands into a martial arts defensive position.

"Oh," Zoisite was amused, "You wish to fight me? Very well then.

He lifted a hand and deadly looking rapier appeared. The girl stared in surprise, but her courage did not falter and she charged right at him. Zoisite grinned, thinking he had an easy kill and thrust his rapier forward. The girl suddenly spun around at the last moment and he stabbed nothing but thin air. Taken off guard, Zoisite jerked his head up to see the girl raise her hand before she backhanded him hard across the face. He stumbled back, barely able to keep his balance as he tried to keep his weapon in front of him.

He tasted blood of his lip and sneered. He stared at he girl, murder in his eyes, "You little wench! I'll make you _pay_ for that!"

He raised his sword and prepared to attack, but then he heard another voice.

"_Lita_?! What's going on down there?!"

He raised his head and froze when he saw the girl with an all too familiar hairstyle. Believing it was Sailor Moon, he made his retreat.

Serena ran down the ramp and came to Joe's side, who was still gasping for breath while he was holding his chest. Lita risked a quick glance behind her to make sure Joe was safe before she turned back around—only to find that her opponent had vanished. She considered going out to look for him, but decided against it and sprinted over to Serena and Joe.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, not liking how Joe's body was shaking so violently.

"Lita," Serena's serious tone jerked her gaze up, "What happened?"

"I'll explain later," she said, "I think we need to get him to a hospital."

She gripped his arm, but Joe suddenly cast her off and stood.

"Let go!" he fairly screamed, "Just leave me alone!"

"But..." Lita protested, but Joe only ignored her and staggered away, holding his chest as though he was having an heart attack while leaving behind his bag of dolls.

"Well, that was very nice," Serena scolded, "We were just trying to help him and—"

Lita got to her feet and took off after him.

"Lita? Where are you going?"

Serena stood up staring after them. She looked at the discarded bag of dolls and hastily put them back in the bag.

"Serena," came Luna's voice, "Let's continue following them."

"Why?" said Serena, "Are you still suspicious of Lita?"

"Not so much, Lita, but rather that young man. Did you see the uniform that blonde man was wearing?"

"Yeah," Serena nodded, "It looked like a Dark Kingdom uniform."

"It looks like he's after that young man, because I'm sense something powerful coming from him."

"In that case..." Serena gasped, "Both him and Lita may be in danger!"

* * *

**Up ahead, Joe kept on** walking until he finally realized Lita was following him.

"How long are you going to keep following me?" he asked not too kindly.

"Well," Lita paused, "It seems someone is after and I thought you might need help. I can help protect you!"

"There's no reason for someone to come after me," Joe said plainly.

"But you've won too much at the arcades," Lita pointed out, "Maybe someone hired a hit man to get rid of you."

"Yeah, right," Joe smiled, unable to help feeling amused by this girl's innocence.

"But, hey," Lita went on, "Teach me how you're able to play those crane games so well."

"You could never do it," Joe said plainly again, then cried out when something pulled painfully at his chest.

"What's wrong?" Lita stepped closer in order to help him.

Joe ignored her and, realizing he was outside a cafe restaurant, made his way over to the entrance. When Lita tried to follow him in he pinned her with a glare.

"I just want a cup of coffee by myself!" he said sharply, "Please stop following me."

He walked inside and the sliding door shut. Lita only stood there in silence.

"Sheesh!" came Serena's voice, making her jump, "What a jerk!"

Lita turned to see her friend carrying the bag of dolls with Luna draped over her shoulder. She then turned back to look inside the restaurant.

"Yeah," she admitted, "but that's why I like him."

Serena and Luna stared at her.

"He looks exactly like my old boyfriend who broke my heart," Lita went on dreamily as she gazed at Joe who sat inside.

Serena continued to stare at her, then whispered to Luna, "That's totally the face of a girl in love."

"One who's being very foolish," Luna returned.

Serena set down the bag and sat down on the ledge of a city garden. A few minutes before she became bored and yawned loudly.

"You don't need to keep me company, you know," Lita, leaning against a pole, remarked.

"I know," Serena waved her off, "I just—"

She stopped when something caught her eye. Lita followed her gaze and saw that Joe gesturing for her to come inside.

"He's asking for you!" Serena stood up excitedly, but Lita seemed frozen to the spot, "What are you waiting for? Go on in!"

"What do I say?" Lita said nervously.

"Just go in there and talk to him," Serena dragged over to the entrance, "Go on! Go on!"

"W-Waite a minute!" Lita protested, "But—"

Serena held up a finger, "No _buts_. Go on in or you'll regret it!"

The sliding door opened and Serena pushed her inside. Lita tried to compose herself while hoping that her blush wasn't as noticeable. Nervously she made her way over to Joe's table.

"Um," she tried to smile.

"Have a seat," he simply ordered.

"O-Okay," Lita sat down, unable to meet his gaze.

Joe took a sip of his coffee before he said, "Don't get the wrong idea."

"What?" Lita forced herself to look at him.

"I find it rather annoying for someone to stand outside staring at me."

"Oh," Lita lowered her head, "I'm sorry."

Joe waved off the apology and said in a low voice, "The reason why I'm so good at crane games it because I have a kind of physic power."

"A what?" Lita stared at him.

"A physic power," he repeated, "Once I've had ever since I was a kid. Let me show you."

He looked around to make sure no one was looking before he raised his hand. Lita gasped as a small empty tray lifted itself from the table and was held suspended in the air for a moment before it settled back down.

"So you see?" Joe went on, "That's why you'll be as good as me because you don't posses the power I have."

Lita picked up the tray, looking at it thoughtfully, "But isn't that cheating?"

Joe shrugged, "Yeah, but it's not like I'm doing anything really bad or illegal—and I did pay for every one of those dolls. I'm just making good use of my special talent."

Lita set the tray back down, "But why? What do you do with those dolls? Do you sell them for money?"

Joe took another sip of his coffee, "One would think so—and I could make a fortune with the amount of dolls I've taken from the arcades—but I find that completely pointless."

"Then what do you do with them?"

There was a long pause as Joe contemplated what to say to her, then he set down his drink and said, "I'm an orphan."

Lita stared at him in surprise as he continued, "I spent my entire childhood in an orphanage. I never found out who my parents were and I don't care enough to find out. Nobody would adopt me because I was too much of a troublemaker. I never showed anyone my physic power because I was afraid they would think of me as the son of the Devil, so I kept it to myself. When I was sixteen, the nuns finally threw me out because they have had enough of my foolish games. I was able to find shelter and a job, but I was so scared at the time. I finally grew up when I learned to calm down and to have control over my life. Yet I still felt an obligation to the orphanage and wondered what I could do in appreciation. Then I remembered who they were always short on dolls so that's when I started raiding crane machines at arcades."

"Wow," Lita stared at him with new admiration, "You really are a generous guy. Have you ever said hello to the nuns your knew?"

"No," Joe now sounded annoyed, "I don't think they would would pleased to see me."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Lita.

"Can I help you?" came a voice.

"Uh, yes!" Lita thought quickly, "I'd like a large curry with rice—No! That's not what I meant. I like to have a chocolate shake, please."

She looked up at the waiter and gasped when she saw that it was the man who'd attacked Joe earlier. Joe recognized him too and let out a cry of horror. Both of them jumped out of their seats, hitting hit hard enough to knock it out of its place.

Everyone whirled around to see what the sudden commotion was about when Zoisite lifted a hand and Lita felt herself being pushed back by a very strong force. Her head hit the wall and she fell unconscious. Zoisite then turned to Joe, who was cringing on the floor as he stared up at him before he began to crawl for the front door. Serena, having seen Zoisite suddenly appear, immediately rushed in and stopped Joe in his tracks.

"What are you doing?!" she scolded, "You're just going to leave a girl behind and run?!"

Even as Luna frowned at her, Joe shook his head, "I don't care about her! She just followed me!"

"You call yourself a man!" Serena was visited by the urge to slap him, "You're nothing but a coward!"

"I don't care!" Joe got to his feet, "A large girl like her isn't my type anyway! Get out of my way!"

He swept past Serena, almost knocking her down. Lita came awake just as he said those words and felt her heart stop, almost in pain. Serena looked around to see where the attacker was but found that he'd already vanished and went immediately to Lita's side.

"Lita? Are you okay? Lita?"

"He said the same thing..." Lita whispered.

"Lita..." Serena tried to comfort her, but Lita suddenly let out a scream of rage and ran out the door. Serena quickly got to her feet and took off after her, but when she got outside Lita was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, no," cold fear struck her as she worried of what Lita might do.

"Serena," Luna said into her ear, "Get down in that alleyway and transform. Lita is most likely going after Joe to get even with and she might lead us right to our enemy."

* * *

**Joe kept running and running,** as though the hounds of Hell were nipping at his heels. He couldn't understand what was happening or why that strange man was afterward. The sun was starting to set when he found himself inside an empty park. He finally stopped to catch his breath, hoping that he had got away. But no sooner than a few breaths later he felt the presence of someone nearby. He lifted his head and gasped in horror when he saw the man standing no more than a few feet away from him.

"W-What?!" he staggered back, "What do you want from me?!"

"You needn't worry," Zoisite said in a calm but deadly voice, "I just want the shard you carry."

"The s-shard? What are you talking about?!"

Zoisite only grinned and flung out the black crystal. It immediately started glowing and Joe felt his heart being torn out again. A black hole seemed to open from his chest and a red diamond appeared from it. Zoisite waited patiently as the diamond glowed from the man's body before it sailed over to him. He caught it and took a moment to look at it before he looked at Joe's convulsing body.

"Now you are free," Zoisite grinned in triumph.

He placed the diamond inside the poach he had placed onto his belt. Joe was now on his knees, his body glowing. Zoisite waited for the God of War to appear and take control of the man's body.

Suddenly cold metal wrapped around his throat. Taken completely off guard, he had no chance to free himself before he was pulled backwards though the air. His body twisted around just in time for him to see the one named Sailor Moon before her fist connected with his face. Just as he was seeing stars he felt himself flying backwards, landing on his back hard onto the pavement.

He struggled to his feet, amazed that he was still conscious while he chin throbbed in pain. He lifted his head to see Sailor Moon striding toward him, a crystal blade already summoned from her wand. Quickly he cleared his ringing head and summoned his rapier.

"_Sailor Moon_!"

Zoisite stopped and swung his head around to the tall girl that had slapped him earlier standing a short distance behind him, mouth agape and eyes wide at what she was seeing. Sailor Moon stopped where she was, realizing that she now had a unarmed civilian to worry about. Zoisite saw his opportunity and put on his arrogant smile.

"You're too late, Sailor Moon," he said.

Sailor Moon pointed her sword at him, "That was a shard of Sybilla's Crystal you took from that man's body, wasn't it? Give it to me and I'll let you go this time."

Zoisite's eyes narrowed, "So you know about Sybilla's Crystal then and of the Gods of War. Well, no matter. You will have to take it from my dead body."

Sailor Moon took a defensive position, "Who are you?"

"I suppose I should introduce myself," Zoisite bowed, "I am Zoisite, one of the Dark Kingdom's Four Generals. I do not have the time to fight you so I will leave you to the God of War, Ganos."

Without another word, pink arrowheads appeared and he disappeared.

Serena cursed at herself for not acting fast enough, then she heard an unearthly scream from Joe. She turned to see the man's body convulsing violently as a new form began to take shape.

"Lita, get behind me," she ordered.

Lita didn't move, "How do you—"

"_Now_!"

Lita immediately sensed the danger and quickly got behind the Sailor Scout. Joe's body continued convulsing until it turned black. A new shape took form, nearly three times the size of the original human body.

The blackness faded away and they saw what appeared to be a titan from Greek Mythology. He skin was like red metallic metal, chest encased in white armor. In his massive hands he wielded a massive hammer. His face was entirely encased in white armor that was formed to resemble his face. Red eyes glowed from the sockets as the God stared down at the Sailor Scout.

"_What is that?_" Lita gasped, "A monster?"

"A God," said Serena, "Lita, I'll hold him off. You get out of here. Hurry!"

The Sailor Scout and the God closed the distance between them. Lita could not move; she could only watch in fascination as the two opponents did battle.

Serena was having a difficult time trying to deliver a knockdown blow to her opponent. Despite his size, Ganos was surprisingly quick. The massive hammer forced her to keep her distance from him and whenever she had an opportunity to attack her swing was blocked by the weapon, forcing her to keep her distance again.

When another attack of hers was blocked Ganos shoved her away hard, nearly causing Serena to lose her balance. The God lifted his weapon high over his head and charged it with energy. Serena immediately leaped to the side, but when the hammer slammed into the ground, a big shockwave emitted from it, causing the entire ground to shake. Serena felt herself being flipped over and she landed painfully on the sidewalk.

Blackness threatened but she fought it off, shaking her head as she recovered her wits. She started to rise when a large foot planted itself on her back and forced her back down, knocking the breath out of her. Struggling to breathe, the corner of her eye caught sight of the God raising his hammer once again, intent on crushing her skull. Then, just as the hammer started its fatal blow, Ganos was suddenly lifted and Serena the pressure leave her back.

Taking huge gulps of air, Serena rolled around-and gaped at what she saw. Lita had charged forward and had somehow lifted the God, weapon and all, over her shoulders, her fury adding to her strength. It was at that moment that Serena saw a glowing green mark glowing on Lita's forehead, one she recognized the planetary symbol of Jupiter. With a warlike cry, Lita threw the God into the bushes where it landed against a tree. Serena stared at Lita in amazement as her friend caught her breath before Serena got to her feet.

"_Look out_!" Lita suddenly warned.

Serena whirled around and saw that the God had already recovered and half raised his weapon-before she saw something fly straight at her. She had no chance to get away as a massive claw clamped around her body. The breath was forced from her lungs again and she found could not move or raise her weapon enough to cut off the thick sting that was attached to the claw and Ganos's weapon. The claw squeezed painfully and Serena was certain she would die from suffocation if the claw didn't slice her in two first.

"Sailor Moon!" Lita tried to help the Sailor Scout, but was forced back when Ganos sent another claw after her. Her swiftness saved her in time and the claw missed wildly. She took refuge in the bushes, desperately trying to think of what to do to save Sailor Moon.

"Lita!" someone called her name.

She looked around and saw Luna standing a few feet before her, a strange looking brooch at her feet.

"You won't be able to fight that God with strength alone," said the cat, "You will need this this."

Lita's jaw dropped, "Luna, you _spoke_! Wait, if you're here, does that mean Serena is…"

"There's no time for that now! You have to help Sailor Moon! Take this brooch and say the words _Dias Prisma Dyami_! Hurry!"

Sensing that this was not the time to argue, Lita quickly snatched up the brooch. It was green, shaped as a five star leaf with gold running down the spines. A green gem sat in the center with the planetary symbol of Jupiter etched inside.

Getting to her feet, Lita placed the brooch on her chest and yelled out, "_Dias Prisma Dyami_!"

The brooch came to life and Lita's clothes changed from her school uniform to a Sailor Scout uniform. Lita had to take the moment to look at herself and the weapons she carried.

"_Cool_."

As if she'd known what to do all along, Lita drew out the twin swords and without realizing it energy jumped into the air.

Darkness was starting to consume Serena when she heard the unmistakable swish of swords swinging and something tearing. The vise that was squeezing the life out of her abruptly eased and she fell on her bottom, desperately grasping for breath. When her vision finally cleared she found herself gaping again.

Lita was standing between her and the God except this time she was in a Sailor Scout uniform! The skirt and neckerchief were green with a pair of green of ankle length laced leather boots, her bowties and stockings pink. A pair of sword sheaths placed against each other were attached to her waist on her back bowtie. Lita held out both swords in a defensive stance, showing that she knew how to use them.

As Serena struggled to comprehend what she was seeing, Lita glance at her and grinned.

"Hey, there," she said, "Thought you could use a hand."

"T-Thanks," Serena inclined her head.

"I'll keep him occupied until you've recovered, alright?"

At Serena's nod, Lita approached the God of War.

Ganos made the first attack, but he soon found that this Sailor Scout was nothing like the other one he'd been fighting. Lita had speed and with two swords instead of one she was able to deliver attacks quicker while preventing him from ever fully using his hammer. Then Lita charged energy into her swords and brought them both down on the hammer. Ganos blocked the attack, but the hammer suddenly shattered and he was flung backwards onto his back.

"Alright!" said Lita excitedly, "Now to finish him off."

"No!" Serena cried, "You can't!"

"Huh?" Lita turned her head to her, "Why?"

"Joe's body is still there," Luna quickly explained, "The God is using him as a host until he fully recovers his powers. If you kill him, you will Joe as well. There's only way you can save him."

"Jupiter," said Serena, "I need you to hold down for me while I save him. Can you do that?"

"If it's to save someone" Lita sheathed her swords, "Sure thing!"

Ganos was beginning to stand back up when Lita came up behind and locked her arms around him.

"Now, Sailor Moon!"

Serena placed herself in front of the God and lifted her hand to his face, opened palm.

"_Chari, Apallaso Sena_!"

Three long parallelograms that formed a triangle with its tips cut off appeared over Serena's palm, glowing intensely. Ganos recognized the symbol and stiffened. Realizing what was happening, he frantically struggled against Lita's embrace before he raised a large hand and painfully gripped Serena's arm, desperately trying to push away the glowing hand.

"Don't let him push it away!" came Luna's voice, "Keep it right in front of him!"

Serena gritted her teeth and pushed back, using her other hand. She couldn't summon additional energy to give her strength for she was using all of it to absolve the God. She pushed back with all the physical strength she could muster, hoping she wouldn't faint before the process was over. Something began to glow on the God's forehead, steadily taking shape of the same symbol on Serena's palm. Ganos's struggles slowly ceased until the shape was complete and began to glow with blinding light.

Suddenly the God became bathed in a beam of light and Serena and Lita was knocked away by some unseen force. Struggling onto their backs, they looked up to see the God of War looking straight up into the sky, them beam of light shining down on him as if guided from Heaven. Ganos let out one last cry before his body reformed back into that of Crane Raider Joe. The young man stood there for a moment before he collapsed and lay still.

Lita came to his side and was relieved to find a pulse. Serena struggled to her feet, but then the world swayed and she felt herself falling again. On a cry, Lita jumped up and caught her just in time.

"Are you all right?" she said.

"Yeah," Serena gasped for breath, "I… I just need to rest… for a moment."

"She'll be fine," Luna came over to them, "The power she used to save Joe nearly took all of her energy. Give her a few minutes and she should have recovered enough. Joe will wake up in few minutes. In the meantime, Lita, I can explain to you what just happened."

"Yes, please," Lita gently placed Serena down before she began listening to Luna's explanation. When the black cat was finished, Lita sat there thoughtfully for a moment, "Let me see if I have this straight, Luna. You say that I'm a Sailor Scout chosen by _Avon_, who we know in this world simply as God, and my task is help is to help Sailor Moon, who is actually Serena, and the other Sailor Scouts to defeat the Dark Kingdom, who are determined to take over the world and the galaxy and that we are the only ones who can stop them."

"Yes," Luna inclined her head, "I know it's a lot to take in, Lita, but every word I have said is true. What happened here should be proof of that."

"I won't deny that, but…" Lita took a breath, "I need some time to think on this."

"I understand," said Luna, "but you must promise us that you won't tell anyone about this. You've been given a great gift that comes with great power and responsibility. It must remain a secret for the time being. Can I trust you to keep your word?"

Lita nodded without hesitation, "Yes. Yes, you can.

"Thank you," Luna inclined her head, "Serena?"

"Yes?" Serena lifted her head.

"Bring Lita to the cathedral tomorrow after school so she can meet the others. From there she can make her decision on whether or not to join us."

"Okay," Serena carefully got to her feet. She still felt weak, but she was steadily recovering, "I think Joe is waking up."

She quickly showed Lita how to transform out her uniform and back into her civilian clothes. When Joe moaned and finally lifted his eyes, he saw the two girls kneeling beside him.

"Hey," Serena made friendly smile, "Are you okay?"

Joe groaned again and closed his eyes, trying to remember what happen. When he did, his eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright, looking around frantically.

"That man!" his voice shook, "Where is he?! He-"

"Easy," said Lita, "He's gone. He won't bother you ever again."

"He's gone?" Joe looked at them in disbelief, "But how?"

"Sailor Moon showed and took care of him," said Serena.

"_Sailor Moon_?" Joe blinked.

"Yep," Serena held up the bag of dolls, "You also forgot this."

"Oh," Joe blinked again, "Uh… thank you."

Joe slowly got to his feet and took the bag.

"Think you'll be fine from here?" asked Lita.

"Y-Yeah," Joe couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze.

"Joe?" Lita waited until he finally did, "You may have somewhat cheated in getting those dolls, but that doesn't make you a bad person. You may be a coward, but that doesn't mean you can try to do a good deed. You may have gotten yourself kicked out of the orphanage because you were young and stupid, but that doesn't mean you can't show gratitude to the nuns because they did take care of you and showed compassion. I think if they knew who was delivering those dolls, it would make them-and you- feel a lot better. Take care, Joe."

Taking Serena's arm, she lead her out of the park, leaving Joe stand there with new and deep thoughts. After what seemed an eternity, Joe hefted the bag and made his way to the orphanage he had spent his childhood in. He placed the bag in front of the door and rang the doorbell. He started to turn around to walk away, but the girl's words made him pause.

Normally he would be out of sight just before one of the Sisters opened the door, but now he found himself wanting to stay and say hello to the nuns who'd looked after him when he felt alone. He debated whether or not to stay or go, then he let out a sad sigh and a small smile. He'd missed the nuns and wanted to see their scolding faces again.

Taking a breath, he rang the doorbell again and waited. Remembering his manners, he swept his cap and pocketed his glasses before smoothing his hair to make himself presentable. Footsteps approached from inside and the door opened to reveal a middle-aged nun with a soft but stern face.

Joe put on the boyish grin he used to give to the Sister whenever he got into trouble, "Hello, Sister Wilma."

The nun frowned at him for a moment, then her eyes widened when she finally recognized him.

"Joe!" she cried and immediately embraced him, "My Lord! Joe! What brings you back here?"

Joe grinned and told her. The joyous nun led him inside, surprising all the other Sisters. He was invited to dinner and once it he was finished he handed out the dolls one by one to the children. The little orphan were beyond delighted, feeling as though Christmas had come early and that he was Santa Claus. Joe didn't mind one bit as he spoke and played with the children until it was time for bed. Thanking the Sisters for letting him see them again, Crane Raider Joe made his way back home, feeling much happier than he'd ever been before.

* * *

**In the Dark Kingdom**, Zoisite presented the shard he had taken from Joe body, but was taken back when he saw that Queen Beryl was not entirely pleased.

"I see that you've successfully retrieved the shard," she said, "but where the God of War?"

"Sailor Moon arrived shortly after I retrieved the shard," I left the God to fight while I brought the shard back safely."

Queen Beryl's demonic eyes flared and her hair began waving like a flame.

"_You _left_ the God there to deal with Sailor Moon alone_?!" she screeched.

Zoisite jumped to his feet, suddenly fearing for his life.

"That was very foolish, Zoisite," Kunzite calmly stated, "You should have made the sure the God defeated her before you fled back here."

"B-But," Zoisite spluttered, "Surely the Sailor Scouts would be no match for a God of War. Surely Ganos has defeated her by now."

"In a short period of time," Queen Berly grounded out in pure anger, "Those very same Sailor Scouts have defeated some of our best monsters, soldiers, and BAMs that we could muster. What made you possibly believe that they would not do the same against a God of War, especially one who's powers have not yet fully recovered?"

Zoisite bowed deeply, "Forgive me, my Queen, but I though our main goal was to revive our great ruler."

"_And _I wanted each and every one of those Gods of War under _my_ command!" Queen Beryl, "And you've wasted one just so could present your prize in order to gain my favor."

Zoisite stiffened, but wisely said nothing.

"I should punish you for this," Queen Beryl went, "but I will give you a chance to do this task correctly. However-as a precaution-Kunzite, you will watch over Zoisite as he sets out to retrieve the next shard. Do no interfere unless you have to. Be sure that he brings both the shard _and_ the God back."

"Yes, my Queen," Kunzite bowed.

* * *

**Serena brought Lita over to** the cathedral right after school. Lita had wanted to go over to the arcade center to try the Sailor V game again, but Serena warned that Luna didn't like to be kept waiting. They found the others waiting inside Dave's study-and their was an equal amount of surprise on both sides.

"Lita?!" Amy gaped.

"_You're_ the next Sailor Scout Luna found?" Raye looked dumbfounded.

Lita blinked, "Apparently I am. Wait…" she stared at them, "_Amy and Raye? You're_ the other two Sailor Scouts Serena mentioned?"

"Amy is the one named Sailor Mercury and Raye is the one named Sailor Mars," said Luna, perched on Dave's desk, "While you are the one named Sailor Jupiter."

"This is…" Lita looked around as if in a daze, "Wow."

"A lot to take in, I know," Serena patted Lita on the shoulder, "Trust me, you're not the first. When Luna told us about our destiny and all that, we had a bit of a hard time settling into our roles as Sailor Scouts."

"I don't know," Lita shook her head, "I feel a bit out of place."

"You'll get used to it over time," Luna stood, "Let's head downstairs to the training room so we can meet the rest."

"Wait, training room?" Lita blinked again, "You actually _train_ here in this cathedral?"

"You'll see," Serena's took Lita's arm, "We also have another girl who's training to become a Sailor Scout. She's with our trainers right now. You might have already met since she goes to our school."

Lita looked at her, but allowed Serena to lead to the training room down bellow where they found Molly doing a number of exercises lead by Cheng Xun with Dave and Walt hovering nearby. Serena grinned at the night, remembering the suffering she and other had went through when they first started training. Lita looked around, amazed on how sophisticated the training room was.

"You keep all this a secret?" she asked.

"We certainly do," Dave approached them, dressed in his _kendogi_ and a _bokken_ in his hand, "I don't think the world is quite ready yet for the Sailor Scouts to fully reveal themselves."

"You are?"

"This is my grandfather, Bishop Heinberg," Raye introduced.

"But you can just call me just Dave," the Bishop shook Lita's hand, "I'm the head trainer here and a teacher f Japanese swordsmanship. The big man behind me is Walt Gordon, the Karate master. The Chinese girl you see over there is Tai Chi master Cheng Xun, who is having our new recruit do some exercises before she starts weight lifting.

"_Cheng Xun_?" Lita stared, "Isn't she a-"

"Multi Chinese Martial Arts champion?" Amy grinned, "She certainly is. And she was the one who trained me."

"Trained you?"

"We each had individual trainers when we first started out," Raye explained, "Walt trained me in Karate while Cheng trained Amy in Tai Chi. Grandpa trained Serena in Kendo, Shinkendo, and Akido."

"We had to learn quickly because we were going to face some big battle against professional soldiers," said Serena, "They trained us well, because before then we were relying solely on luck."

"Wow," Lita looked at Dave, "I never imagined a priest, much less a bishop, would be training young girls to become fighters."

"Soldiers would be a more accurate term," said Luna before she turned her attention to Dave, "I was wondering if you had a moment Dave."

"Certainly," the bishop nodded.

"Lita showed last night that she knows how the twins blades, the traditional weapons of Sailor Jupiter, but I find that she could improve her skills with them. Do you think you could spare a few minutes to give her a few lessons?"

"Certainly," Dave said again and looked at Lita, "Did you happen to bring your PE clothes, young lady?"

"I did," Lita nodded, "I just got them today."

"Go ahead and changed into them then," Dave pointed, "The changing room is upstairs, out of sight of the alter."

"Here," Raye offered, "I'll you to it."

After they left, Serena looked over at Molly again, who was now under Walt's tutelage as she was now involved in weight lifted. Molly hadn't seemed to notice them, but Serena didn't mind. She didn't want to distract Molly from her training routine.

"How's Molly doing?" she asked.

"Perfectly fine," Dave smiled, "I'll giving her first sword fighting lessons later."

"Hope you have fun," Serena grinned.

Lita came back a minute later, followed by Raye.

"See those _bokkens_ over there, Lita?" Dave pointed to a set of wooded swords he and Serena had used to train with, "Take pair and step onto the arena."

Lita nodded and picked up a pair. Dave watched closely as she approached him and raised her swords to a defensive position.

"Good," Dave approved, "You know how to handle them. Now, let's see if you can use them properly. Come at me and attack with everything you have. Don't worry about hitting me."

"Don't underestimate him, Lita," Serena grinned, "He's no average priest."

Lita ignored her and attacked. Dave blocked her first blow, but when she tried tried to push his weapon away to deliver another attack, Dave disengaged and she almost lost her balance. Dave made a downward swing and Lita had to use both swords to block it. Taking a step back, she reconsidered her approach.

When she attacked again, it ended up in the same result. She could not deliver a blow to the bishop no matter what she did. Soon she became frustrated and her attacks started to be more wild. Dave had been waiting for this and began to attack back. Lita soon found herself struggling to defend herself against Dave relentless blows. Then he knocked away one sword-then the other- before Lita found the tip of his sword pointed at her throat. Stunned, she looked up at Dave's face.

"You have potential skill," he declared, "but it needs improvement."

He lowered the sword and Lita relaxed.

"Hardly surprising," she said, disappointed with herself, "I used to be very good, but I haven't practiced in a long time so it's no surprise that my skills are rusty."

"I can help you improve those skills," said Dave, "along with Serena since you share similar fighting styles."

"Do you think if you accept the path of a Sailor Scout," said Luna, "you could improve with your skills along with helping us defeat the Dark Kingdom? You did have the entire night think on this."

"Yeah," Lita sighed, "I'm not sure if I should really join you guys. I mean, part of me wants to, but it's only because before I met you guys my life was rather dull and boring. Joining the Sailor Scouts because it might be fun would be a very selfish reason."

"What about what happened last night?" Serena suggested, "That man who attacked Joe will be attacking other people in the future for the shards they're carrying."

"Yes, I realize that, but…" Lita hesitated, "I just don't think I'm suited to be a Sailor Scout. I'm not like other girls."

Serena was about to protest when a voice said, "I completely disagree."

They looked to where Molly was sitting on the bench press, looking at Lita.

"I think you're perfectly suited to be a Sailor Scout," she said.

Lita frowned, "What makes you so sure?"

Molly stood and approached her, "I joined the Sailor Scout Universe not just because I wanted to be stronger, but also because I wanted to honor a very brave man who gave his life to protect me by showing him that I can protect others I care about. You wear the uniform of one of the Original Nine. _That_ is a very high honor, one that your predecessors would have been proud of. You have strength and intuition, something I have yet to achieve. As Luna might have said already, you've been given a great gift. Use it to protect others from evil."

Lita, and everyone else, stared at Molly, amazed by how much the red-headed girl had grown.

"What's your name?" asked Lita, "I've seen you at school before with Serena."

"Molly Baker," Molly held out her hand, "I've been close friends with Serena since childhood."

"Molly?" Lita shook her hand, "Yes, I remember Serena mentioning you," she took a moment to look around her, noting the eager faces of everyone, "Do you really think I'm suited for this?"

"Yes," Molly smiled enthusiastically, "Yes, I do."

"Well," Lita grinned and shrugged, "when you put it as you said, I see no reason why not. It's better than sitting doing nothing. And I'm not ever going back to naïve girl I used to be. I'm don't need a man in my life."

Everyone laughed.

"I think you'll find that one day you will be wring, my child," said Dave.

"Yes, indeed," Serena grinned at her friend, "Welcome to the club, Lita."

"Thanks," Lita grinned back, "Happy to be a part of it."

* * *

**Darien Shields suddenly awoke in** the middle of the night, his body encased in sweat and breathing hard. He placed a clammy palm on his head, shaking it uncertainly.

"That dream again…" he whispered.

Throwing back the covers, he got himself out of bed and splashed water on his face, knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep again for a while. After downing a full glass of cool water, he walked out onto his upstairs balcony and leaned against the railing, staring out into the city lights in the distance.

It had been the same dream again, the one he'd been having since he'd first turned thirteen. In the dream he was standing in the middle of a dense fog, looking up at a palace that was barely visible while wearing a tuxedo with a mask, hat, and cape. From where he stood he could see a dark figure of a girl standing high before the palace, her innocent and frightened voice crying out for help.

Each time he had the dream he was drawn to her, wanting to help her, but each time he tried to approach the palace it seem to move further away from him. Then the girl would speak and he would stop to listen.

"_Sybilla's Crystal!_" she would say, "_Find Sybilla's Crystal and everything will be clear_."

And he would always respond with, "_What is Sybilla's Crystal?! Who are you?! Please, tell me who you are!_"

And then he would wake, with no answer to what that dream was suppose to mean. When he first started having the dream he thought it just nothing more than a silly interpretation of a children's fairy tale. But in recent months the dream had become more frequent-even to the point where he having it almost every night.

It was strange; the girl in his dream reminded him so much of Serena. Ever since he first met Serena outside that jewelry store that day he'd been thinking about nothing but her. He couldn't understand why he felt so attracted to her; to the point where he had kissed her twice now. The night he saw her in that beautiful dress at the President's Ball he had felt the urge to claim as his and while protecting her from others, even if they were harmless. Whenever she was in his arms, he felt at peace, as though he had come back after a very long struggle.

But what was that struggle? His memories? The ones he couldn't understand yet felt so real? Was Serena the key to these lost memories.

"What is that dream suppose to be?" he asked himself, then a sudden thought struck him, one that was absurd but undeniably possible, "Am I… Tuxedo Mask?"


End file.
